Why Comfort isn’t Always Progress…
You know the feeling when you arrive at class or open practice and walk in only to find someone has already claimed your favourite pole? Session ruined. Now you’re annoyed and wondering what you’re supposed to do for the next hour. What if it didn’t have to feel like that? What if seeing someone at your favourite pole was an opportunity instead?
We know it’s easy to get attached to a certain piece of equipment whether it’s a pole or a yoga mat but it can make it difficult for others joining the session to feel included if you become too protective of your favourite things, especially when they are for communal use. Starting a new class can be scary and it can feel unwelcoming to new students if the regulars get upset with people using “their” pole.
So, how should you act if you come to class and find someone is already using your preferred pole?
Opportunity
It can be great to reframe your disappointment in not getting the pole you want as an opportunity to try something new instead. All of our poles have the same diameter (45mm) and they are almost all stainless steel so using a different pole won’t have a different feeling. Anything you can do on one pole you can do exactly the same on another!
Instead of becoming upset that someone is using your preferred pole, you could start an experiment to try out every pole in the studio. You can find out which ones have good lighting for filming or a great view out of the windows. This could also be an opportunity to fix a problem you’ve been noticing during class or practice…
Maybe you’ve been worried about kicking the mirrors on your favourite pole but now you can use a pole by the windows instead. Suddenly you’re no longer concerned about hitting anything so can make amazing lines when doing tricks. Or perhaps you’ve been struggling to find a good filming angle without people in the background. If you try out one of the corner poles you can get great angles and have no one else in the shot.
Friendship
If the class or practice session you’re going to is quite busy you could ask to share the pole with the person who is already there. This can be a great way to make them feel welcome or get to know them better. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to help each other out by pointing out corrections, giving tips, or spotting when trying out tricks. Learning from others and having someone watching you is a great way to progress in your pole journey and can be so helpful for unlocking moves which you’ve been struggling with.
Inspiration
Trying out a new pole can be the perfect way to pull yourself out of a rut and gather more inspiration. A small change can go a long way especially when it comes to finding inspiration again. Just a little change of scenery and a different space to move in can help you find new connections and experiment with novel pathways. Moving to a new pole is the easiest way to emulate this change while staying in a space you’re already comfortable training in. Why not try out a different pole for your next training session and feel the inspiration flow? You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it can make, you might even create a new favourite combo!
Break Up With Your Favourite Pole
Of course we understand that sometimes you need a little comfort and continuity so using a particular pole for most of your sessions isn’t an issue but if you’re becoming so attached to a certain pole that you aren’t training effectively if you can’t use that pole maybe it’s time to switch things up.
Hopefully this post has helped you see that using the same pole every session isn’t always as good as it seems. You could be missing out on making friends, and making progress! There are so many poles in the studio and all of them have their own set of benefits over others so why not try something new and see where it takes you…
